I'm very fond of the mood and ethos behind the book Savage Arena. I particularly like where Tasker contemplates what it would take to climb the Eiger in winter and dismisses it as madness. Then a page or two later has a chat with Renshaw and makes a plan to do it and they does it in the winter of '75. Inspiring stuff.
James e

The Shining Mountain was the first climbing book I ever read. I think it influenced what I read afterwards, and how I thought about climbing, at least to some degree. I must have had some knowledge of other climbing stories though, because I remember being surprised, and interested, at how they acknowledged getting angry at each other. It wasn't all roses and jolly japes, teamwork and 'challenge' (blurgh!). I think it gave a more rounded and honest picture of climbing and climbers.

But my first knowledge of B&T was from a Karrimor catalogue! Around 1983, when I was just doing my first walks here in Australia, one of their catalogues had a section dedicated to them, I think with a photo of a memorial stone at Everest north side BC.

In reply to Damo: I knew both Pete and Joe personally, even climbed occaisionally with Pete. When I was at Everest base camp (Tibetan side) in 1988 there was a rock built shrine as a memorial to Pete and Joe. People would leave little gifts, there were sweets, tins of sardines etc. The nicest thing which touched me was that someone had left a half drunk opened can of beer, obviously sharing a last drink with the pair

Thank you for this. I was at Uni in Wales when we lost Pete and Joe and remember the sense of loss in the climbing community from the climbing mags. I never met them, but these were the guys that inspired me to get off the crags and into the mountains and on big walls. I was given Savage Arena by my parents on my 21st Birthday (Xmas Day 1982)and had finished reading it before they disappeared. It is still in my top 3 of all mountaineering books. It is fabulous real, ego-less account of great climbing adventures and friendships. Real positive mountaineering role models, gone but not forgotten.

I spent a day climbing at Stone Farm Rocks with Pete just before they set off on their ill fated expedition, whilst he was in the SE on a lecture tour. I remember being very shocked by the news and as you say can't believe it was 30 years ago!

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> But my first knowledge of B&T was from a Karrimor catalogue! Around 1983, when I was just doing my first walks here in Australia, one of their catalogues had a section dedicated to them, I think with a photo of a memorial stone at Everest north side BC.

Just had a quick Google. That Karrimor catalogue is now online. There's an article about Pete Boardman by Audrey Salkeld on p17: